Commercial RB hardness?

[westrayer]

I have a few hand cast round balls that came with a rifle. My commercial cast Hornady balls seem harder. Has anyone actually tested them?

 

[Boomerang]

Hornady should be pure lead.

 

[wiscoaster]

Watch out for the term "hard cast" which means a lead alloy and a harder bullet or round ball. I'm no metallurgist, but certain terms mean certain things and that's a term that's an accepted term to describe a bullet or round ball that's harder than pure lead, and depending on your firearm, may not be a suitable projectile.

 

[westrayer]

I am very familiar with bullet alloys. I used to cast a lot of pistol bullets in #2 alloy. The end of old style wheel weights brought that to an end. Now, any casting is 20-1 for original TD carbine and Sharps carbine. I have run them as low as 40-1. The little bit of tin added to the pure lead is only there to help the molten material fill out the grooves. Brinell hardness of pure lead is "5". The 20-1 mix is approximately "10".

 

[SDSmlf]

I have a few hand cast round balls that came with a rifle. My commercial cast Hornady balls seem harder. Has anyone actually tested them?

Believe the only lead round balls I have seen from Hornady and Speer were swaged rather than cast, and remember getting a BHN of 5 or so when I tested them.

 

[renegadehunter]

I can't speak for Hornady, but can say that Speer RB's are for sure swaged using pure, soft lead.

 

[stubshaft]

I've tested some of the Hornady's and they were pure when I checked them. These were the swaged ones, I've never seen or heard of Hornady cast balls?

 

[Okie Hog]

Just now scratched a .570 round ball with my finger nail, methinks they're pure lead. .

Years ago i tried Hornady round balls. Those balls worked so well that i gave up casting round balls. i hunt deer and hogs using Hornady round balls in .50, .54 and .58 calibers.

 

[ZUG]

I love casting my own bullets and round balls for modern and muzzle loading guns - BUT - for the most part when I don't want to mess with casting them I use the swaged round balls by Hornady or Speer. I have over 1000 in different calibers sitting in the reloading storage closet at the moment ready for use whenever needed.